How Miami football DT Leonard Taylor performed at NFL Combine

Miami football alum Leonard Taylor had a chance to perform for coaches, management and scouts as defensive tackles and linebackers worked out on Thursday in the first day at the NFL Combine. The NFL Draft Projections have fallen for Taylor since November. The NFL Mock Draft Database currently lists Taylor 63rd on its big board.

Taylor was as high as 12th on the NFL Mock Draft Database Big Board on November 25th. The NFL Mock Draft Database is a consensus of multiple NFL Mock Draft websites. Taylor thus far has run a 5.12 40-yard dash, 1.76 10-yard split, 30-inch vertical jump and a 9'1 broad jump.

NFL.Com graded Taylor with a 65 Production Score, 12 among all DTs, a 66 athleticism score that was 15th and a 69 total score which is 11th at the position. Taylor finished in the top 15 among DTs in most categories. Taylor finished 13th in the 40-yard dash. Braden Fiske of Florida State had the fastest 40-time among DTs at 4.78 seconds.

Taylor was 11th in the 10-yard split. Mekhi Wingo of LSU had the fastest 40-yard split time among DT at 1.64. Taylor finished 10th in the vertical. Fiske had a 33.50" vertical to lead all DTs. Taylor finished fourth among the five DTs who participated in the three-cone drill with a time of 7.81 seconds.

Taylor did not participate in the bench press or the 20-yard shuttle. Fiske and Logan Lee of Iowa tied for the best time among DTs in the 40-yard shuttle running 4.37 seconds. Jordan Jefferson of LSU led all DTs in the bench press with 34 reps.

Inconsistent college production and his performance and the combine could cause Taylor to continue falling in the 2024 NFL Draft projections. Taylor finished his Miami career with 64 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss six sacks, one interception and one pass defended. Taylor's numbers regressed in 2023.

Taylor had 24 tackles, 10.5 TFLs and 3.0 sacks as a sophomore in 2022. As a junior in 2023, Taylor finished with 19 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and 1.0 sack. NFL analyst Lance Zierlein said, "Taylor's physical tools and athletic ability stand out, but his technique and fundamentals need work."

Taylor needs more consistency in the NFL than he had in college. Taylor never had consecutive games with sacks in college and had three games in the last two seasons without a tackle. Miami never received the consistency expected from the 2021 five-star signee.